Who Will Love Me As I Am?
by JehanneLaPucelle
Summary: A one-shot song-fic, from the point of view of Elphaba and Nessarose, set to the song "Who Will Love Me As I Am?" from Side Show. Forgo the disclaimer so putting it here. Don't own anything but the idea.


Who Will Love Me As I Am?

Elphaba Thropp stood on the balcony of the governor's mansion and stared out at the rolling green lawn and the lake beyond. If she squinted, she could see the fish jumping out of the water to grab at the bugs that flew by. She could see one fish in particular, a startling white amongst all the other bright colors and she sighed. 'I know how that fish feels,' she thought.

_Like a fish plucked from the ocean_

_Tossed into a foreign stream _

_Always knew that I was different_

_Often fled into a dream._

Elphaba could see the fish swimming against the current as the other fish swam with the water, and she laughed. 'Too bad that's just a fish. We could have some interesting conversations,' she thought.

_I ignored the raging currents_

_Right against the tide I swam._

As she watched, one of the yellow fish came up to the white fish and began to swim alongside it. Elphaba's thoughts strayed to Fiyero, and she felt a pang. 'Even a fish has another fish to love it,' she thought.

_But I floated with the question: _

_Who will love me as I am?_

Nessarose Thropp sat in her wheelchair, up against the back wall of the parlor, and tried to pay attention to what her father was saying. She knew it was important. If she was going to be the future governor she would need to understand about politics. But all she could see were the other people in the room, dignitaries of Munchkinland, staring at her, with pity in their eyes, and their children, openly gawking at her. She had heard them earlier, whispering questions to their parents, and she'd turned her face to the wall, pretending she hadn't heard.

_Like an odd exotic creature on display inside a zoo_

_Hearing children asking questions _

_Makes me ask some questions too_

She wished, as she had ever since she could remember, that just once she could come into a room without everyone stopping whatever it was they were doing to look at her. And she wished she could walk. She wanted that more than anything. If only…

_Could we bend the laws of nature?_

_Could a lion love a lamb?_

She looked up and caught the gaze of a young man sitting across from her. She smiled shyly and he looked away quickly. Nessa bit her lip and ducked her head.

_Who could see beyond the surface?_

_Who will love me as I am?_

Elphaba turned away from the pond and sat down on one of the chairs, tucking her feet up beside her. While she brooded, she twirled a strand of her long black hair around an emerald finger. Down inside the house, Nessarose had quietly excused herself from her father's meeting, and was now sitting in his study, staring out the window, lost in thought.

_Who will ever call to say I love you?_

_Send me flowers or a telegram?_

_Who could proudly stand beside me?_

_Who will love me as I am?_

Nessarose looked down at her feet, seeing the silver shoes. She scowled. Those shoes were just another way she was different. They were supposed to be pretty, to set her apart as the governor's daughter. As far as Nessa was concerned, they only made people look at her feet, which made them notice her twisted legs. And then they pitied her even more.

_Like a clown whose tears cause laughter_

_Trapped inside the center ring_

Elphaba looked in the glass door of the balcony. She knew that downstairs her father was having a meeting, and that Nessa would be there, being her usual charming self. An image popped into her head, a room full of smiling faces, all beaming at her sister.

_Even seeing smiling faces_

_I am lonely pondering…._

Although they could not know it, both girls sighed in unison as they stared straight ahead, Nessa inside and Elphaba outside, neither realizing that the other felt as they did.

_Who would want to join this madness?_

_Who would change my monogram?_

_Who would be part of my circus?_

_Who would love me as I am?_

Elphaba wearily got up and walked into the house. Keeping her head down, she went into the library and shut the door. Nessarose wheeled into her room, lifted herself onto the bed, and shut her eyes, leaning against the pillows.

_Who will ever call to say I love you?_

_Send me flowers or a telegram?_

_Who could proudly stand beside me?_

_Who will love me as I am? _


End file.
